A Loire Valley wine made from 100 percent Pinot Noir, avoiding the Gamay often used in the Loire Pinot blend, this is a dark-purple wine shading to a garnet edge. A high-toned scent of cherry liqueur and licorice, bold fruit that seems a bit "New World" for a Loire red, gives way to tart cherries and a distinct cranberry note, appropriate for Thanksgiving, that carry over in a dry, quite acidic flavor that will serve well to cut through the fat and richness of a holiday feast. Little obvious tannin, and moderate 13% alcohol. U.S. importer: Heidelberg Distributing Co., Independence, Ohio. (Nov. 16, 2017)FOOD MATCH: Fat, rich fare works well to tame its forward fruit and sharp acidity, a good table wine for Thanksgiving and other winter feasts.
WHEN TO DRINK: I don't see this as a long-term ager. At its low-teens price, pick it up to enjoy with holiday feasts (and their leftovers), and then move on.
VALUE:
I managed to grab a slightly better value than Wine-Searcher.com's $13 average retail. In any case, it's a good buy even up to the middle teens.
WEB LINK
For an info sheet, check the winery website in English, and page down briefly to find the Pinot Noir.
FIND THIS WINE ONLINE:
Find vendors and compare prices for Nicolas Idiart Loire Valley Pinot Noir on Wine-Searcher.com.